Welcome to the end of 2025. In December I read a total of 8 books plus a collection of erotic short stories that I left unrated. In this post you will find reviews for my last 5 reads of the year. Four of them are by new-to-me authors. They are all very good and would be good additions to your TBR. After taking a step back from several ARCs these last few months, I found myself really leaning into mood reading. I found myself drawn to FB ads while mindlessly scrolling and gave into the urge to check out those books on several occasions. It was delightful.
I hope my reviews help you find your next read. Here's to wishing all of us a happy 2026 full of books, love, and happiness.
Call Me Anytime by Max Monroe
#AgeGap #RomanticSuspense #Slowburn #Virgin
Written in first person, from an alternating dual POV, this
is a standalone with a HEA.
Hannah, 25, is taking care of her mom, Sherry. Sherry was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s
when Hannah was 12. Sherry and her obsession with the TV show NCIS fits right
into the crazy turn Hannah’s life takes. She lost her job, through no fault of
her own. She is drowning in bills. She interviews and takes job phone sex line
because the money was too good to pass up. I loved the way her inexperience
shines through as she attempts her new job. I was laughing out loud.
The meet-cute includes a handsome detective, a confused mom,
and Hannah who is naked in just a towel after a shower. Dominic, 35, is a homicide
detective investigating murder of girls who worked at Call Me Anytime. Serious
at work, and a real good time when he is off, Dom is full of surprises. As he gets
to know Hannah he is sucked in by her kindness, quirkiness, sense of humor. He
falls for her before he realizes it was happening. He just knows he wants to
protect her.
Dominic and Hannah share a tender heat. The book is slow burn up to about 75%. Meanwhile the reader is right with the characters trying to identify the killer. The third act break up occurs when Dom makes a mistake, and Hannah struggles to explain why she feels as she does. Thankfully Dom isn’t a quitter and he keeps trying. When Hannah rushes into danger, Dom saves her. This was a fun read with a very sweet HEA.
Not According to Plan (Navarro Triplets #1)
by A.M. Madden
#OneNightStand #SurprisePregnancy
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA. This was my first book by this
author (thoughtfully gifted to me by a Christmas elf), and I look forward to
reading more of her work.
Jade is 27 and very career focused as she tried to become
junior partner of her law firm. Max is the successful owner of a gym and is in
the process of opening a second one in another state when he meets Jade for a
hot one-night stand. This story takes the unexpected pregnancy for a ride with
a twist I hadn’t seen before. (I don’t include spoilers, but other reviewers
have if you need to know.)
I liked that Jade and Max tried to make things work from the
time they got the news. I appreciated that their situation was
uber-complicated. I loved that Max tried so hard to be everything for
everyone-but the reality is that that never works because it’s impossible. One
of my favorite things about this trope is that the couple must learn to communicate
with each other to get their HEA. It wasn’t easy for these two. They made mistakes.
Sacrifices are required, but I felt like the author made them reasonable to
make. Jade catches a lot of flack for seemingly making the most sacrifices in
the relationship. As someone who has been married 35 years, I recognize that sacrifices
come around equally most of the time but are rarely equal at the same time. That
said, I appreciated the unique family representation in this story. I enjoyed
Max and Jade’s hard won and sweet HEA.
The Christmas Trap (The Davenports #7) by L. Steele
#Billionaire #Holiday #GrumpyHero #MoC #Workplace
Written in first person from an alternating dual POV, this
ends with a HEA. Though this is the 7th book in the series, it is my
first book by this author, and I felt like it absolutely functioned as a
standalone. I saw a FB ad for this and jumped in completely blind without
regret.
Lark is a go-getter and I appreciated her drive to succeed
at the same time as I understood her people-pleasing nature. Brody was a
confusing character to me. There were times when I just wanted the man to have
some kind of control of his emotions. He reacts to everything in a strong
manner. Lark handled it, but it would have been a no for me. The first part of
the book is just Lark settling into her new job while her boss goes back and
forth between being demanding and rude to praising her for her ability to
succeed. The marriage of convenience trope is one of my favorites, and is what
drew me into this book. After they actually wed, then things get very spicy.
Honestly, the book’s plot takes a hit in the second half of the book because
there is so much spice. I found some of the word choices in these scenes to be
repetitive and sometimes strange. Readers can expect some light BDSM, some
Shabari, and power exchange dynamics with this couple. Meanwhile Brody blows hot and cold emotionally
while Lark just accepts it. Some might say she is patient while understanding
his feelings better than he does. Others might say she should have stood her
ground with him better. I’m not sure where I fell except that he annoyed me. I
did love how supportive he ended up being for her at work, though her rapid
advancement would have garnered a lot of questions IRL.
Overall, this was a steamy and enjoyable read. As it is my first book by this author, I would definitely read another.
Held by the Bratva (London Mafia Bosses #8)
by Evie Rose
#AgeGap #Mafia #Stalker #Kidnapping #Virgin
I picked up this gem on stuff your kindle day and the blurb
sucked me right in. I am a sucker for “who hurt you”. I have zero regrets. This
was my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I found her writing
sharp, funny, and sarcastic in the best of ways. Written in first person from
an alternating dual POV, this can be read as a standalone and ends with a HEA.
Caterina is 22, and just about to finish her university
studies. I loved her take on herself as an introvert without social skills, but
with a huge crush on her handsome neighbor. Her ability to create an imaginary
life with him was quite fun. Brody, 42: mafia kingpin, Dark Angel, and man who
lusts for his young neighbor. When he finds her hurt, his possessive and
protective nature won’t allow for anything else but taking Caterina and keeping
her safe. His self-talk while justifying
his actions was quite funny. For a man so feared, he becomes a puddle for her.
I loved their chemistry. I adored that Brody takes his time
attempting to woo Caterina and that she is a bit clueless. This was a quick, fun, spicy, OTT read that
was exactly what I needed between the holidays. And it didn’t matter that it
was book 8 in a series. Now I know I need to go read the others on other
evenings when I need a little mafia lovin’.
My Christmas Knight
(That Scandalous Fairplace Family #1) by
Anne Knight
#HistoricalRomance #ForcedProximity #Novella
Written in third person from an alternating dual POV, this
Victorian romance novella was a joy to read. It can be read as a standalone and
ends with a HEA.
In this novella set on Christmas Day, two strangers find
themselves locked together in a train car for many hours by the heroine’s
controlling uncle. Fortunately, they are both likeable and they both quickly
like each other. Blanche has had a life full of abuse and neglect while Dennis
is still adapting to civilian life after fighting in the Crimean War. As he
deals with survivor’s guilt and PTSD, Blanche is also dealing with the uncle
who shames her at every chance. I loved the friendship they built when forced
together. I loved the passionate moments they shared. I adored that Dennis
could see Blanche for the wonderful woman she was and not the way her uncle
portrayed her. I was impressed that the author managed to give both characters
depth and incorporate spicy open-door scenes in a book of this length.
This was an engaging read by a new-to-me author and I really
enjoyed it.
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